Updated August 5, 2020 |
Infoplease Staff
Learn the top 20 consumer fraud complaints as of 2008. Identity theft tops the list, with 26% of all fraud compaints, filed by 1,223,370 people that year. Protect yourself from identity theft by reading our guides, Catching the Facts on Identity Theft and Stolen Identity: A Consumer Nightmare. Remember, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you suspect you are a victim of identity theft, or any other fraudulant action, visit the consumer protection division of the Federal Trade Commission.
| Number of complaints |
Percent of total |
|
|---|---|---|
| Identity theft | 313,982 | 26 |
| Third party and creditor debt collection | 104,642 | 9 |
| Shop-at-home and catalog sales | 52,615 | 4 |
| Internet services | 52,102 | 4 |
| Foreign money offers and counterfeit check scams | 38,505 | 3 |
| Credit bureaus, information furnishers and report users | 34,940 | 3 |
| Prizes, sweepstakes and lotteries | 33,340 | 3 |
| Television and electronic media | 25,930 | 2 |
| Banks and lenders | 22,890 | 2 |
| Telecom equipment and mobile services | 22,387 | 2 |
| Computer equipment and software | 21,442 | 2 |
| Business opportunities, employment agencies and work-at-home | 20,286 | 2 |
| Internet auction | 17,294 | 1 |
| Advance-fee loans and credit protection/repair | 17,263 | 1 |
| Health care | 16,275 | 1 |
| Auto related complaints | 14,278 | 1 |
| Travel, vacations and timeshare plans | 13,200 | 1 |
| Credit cards | 13,196 | 1 |
| Magazines and buyers clubs | 10,188 | 1 |
| Telephone services | 9,300 | 1 |
Source: Federal Trade Commission. Data from Consumer Sentinel.
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